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Senator Sonia Chang-Diaz, who is Boston Democrat and is the first Latinx woman to serve the state Senate, said Monday that she is looking at the race for governor in 2022.

Senator Chang-Diaz was Instrumental in Efforts to Pass School Funding Reform

A key player in trying to pass school funding reform in 2019, Chang-Diaz helped broker an overhaul of policing oversight and accountability laws last year in the wake of the killing of George Floyd.

“Across Massachusetts, families are having a tough time trying to make rent, stay safe, and give their kids a brighter future. With economic, public health, and racial justice issues, these crises are now important in our state. I want to make it abundantly clear we need someone in the corner office who feels the same urgency working people do. Not someone who will run away from problems, but some who will run toward the problems. Moreover, that is why I’m earnestly considering running for governor,” Chang-Díaz said in a statement.

Chang-Diaz’s Senate Tenure and Accomplishments

Chang-Diaz, a former teacher, was first elected to the Senate in 2008. She ran unopposed in her last two races. Then at the end of last month, she had more than $210,500 in her campaign for senate account.

A Chance to Run for Mayor

As a potential candidate for mayor of Boston, the Jamaica Plain resident considered running. It was this year with Marty Walsh who left City Hall to join the Biden administration. Instead, Chang-Diaz was putting her focus on state-level policy. In addition, to her role in the Senate. That included chairing the new Joint Committee on Racial Equity, Civil Rights, and Inclusion.

Senator Chang-Diaz: a Voice for Progressive Causes

Chang-Diaz has been a champion for progressive causes that include criminal justice reform to the more current policing reform law in the Senate. It was signing last year by Governor Baker. Moreover, she has also filed legislation and advocated for more resources to improve the equity of COVID-19 vaccine distribution. This is throughout communities in Massachusetts.

Chang-Diaz is Not the Only Trailblazer in her Family

Chang-Diaz is a graduate of the University of Virginia. Her father immigrated to the United States from Costa Rica. He remarkably went on to become the country’s first Latin American astronaut. Currently, the only woman of color serving in the Senate, Chang-Diaz, also co-chairs the Cannabis Policy Committee.